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Bill

H 5156

Order relative to extending until Wednesday, March 18, 2026 the time within which the committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery is authorized to report on a current House document

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Mindy Domb and 1 co-sponsor

Extends Massachusetts House committee deadline to March 18, 2026 for reporting on unspecified mental health legislation, enabling delayed legislative action on unknown policy matters.

Adopted
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · H 5156

Legislative bill overview

H 5156 is a procedural order that extends the deadline for the House Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery to complete its work on an unspecified House document from an earlier deadline to March 18, 2026. This is a routine legislative housekeeping measure that allows the committee additional time to deliberate and prepare its report.

Why is this important

Committee deadline extensions directly affect the legislative timeline and whether important policy matters receive adequate review before floor votes. If the underlying House document addresses significant mental health or substance use policy, the extended deadline determines when lawmakers can act on those proposals. This impacts the pace of legislative progress on what are typically priority health issues.

Potential points of contention

  • The bill does not specify which House document is under review, making it impossible to assess whether the extension is justified or if the committee is simply delaying action
  • Extensions can enable committees to indefinitely postpone controversial or contentious legislation without transparent accountability
  • The very tight timeline (bill passed March 2, 2026 with a March 18 deadline) suggests either urgency or last-minute procedural maneuvering

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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